Gotcha Day

In adoption circles, they celebrate the actual day you were united with your child. They call it Gotcha Day. Some people make it a present giving, cake-eating occasion. That's not my plan. This child has enough stuff to keep her going for years. Instead, I want this day, January 8th, to be a day we recognize, and appreciate. One filled with hugs and gratitude for the amazing forces that brought us together.

Can it actually be a year since I first held this child? Last night I looked back at the pictures of the orphanage and the caretakers and my little sleeping bundle who allowed me to change her clothes, put her in the carrier and take her back to the hotel with us. So much of that week was a blur. We had to zoom out of New York in 3 days, fly through Tokyo and then onto Hanoi the next day. On January 8th, we were picked up at the crack of dawn to head to Vinh Phuc province. I was running on fumes and high on adrenaline. I had waited so long to become a mother, to finally hold my child in my arms. And there she was, my delicious Phoebe Ellis, my smiling bundle of love. What a lucky, blessed day January 8th was and will always be.

In the year that has followed, I have seen this baby blossom into an amazing little girl. She is so smart and funny, not to mention beautiful. Her smile has remained her signature. She shares it freely with everyone she meets, brightening up the world around her. She loves to dance, shake her hips and shimmy her shoulders. She says lots of words, and uses sign language for ones she doesn't know yet. She eats all the yummy food we give her and mostly sleeps like a champ, resting her growing body and brain to take on another day. Our first year together has been fun and challenging, but mostly fun and enlightening and interesting and wonderful. Of all the babies in all the world, Phoebe was the one that was supposed to come to me. How very, very lucky I am to have her.

Who's your Daddy?

It is the sad lament of most single mothers that the first word most kids say is "Daddy". In Phoebe's case, she's been saying the sound for "Da" (usually directed at Jeff) since she was five months old. These days, as a very blabby, if incomprehensible, toddler, Phoebe is saying lots of words and is on the verge of making whole sentences. She knows 'flower' and 'ball' and 'trumpet' and 'socks' and 'shoes' and 'hot' and lots of others. Our attempt at teaching her baby sign language has paid off giving her a wider range to her vocabulary. She can sign 'more' and 'all done' and 'please' and 'jump' and 'ouch' amongst others. We're working on more all the time because she gets frustrated when we can't understand what she's trying to tell us. But "Daddy" remains her best word- perfectly annunciated and, as of late, directed as almost anyone she loves. I am definitely Daddy. Jeff is too. But so is my Dad, Grammy, Michael, Antonia, Jordan and Chloe and various others. She will sound out Ma-Ma every now and then, but not in any clear, directed way. So despite the fact that she has no official, legal Daddy at the moment, Phoebe has decided she has lots of them. It is most certainly a term of endearment, if one that makes me laugh. I'm happy if she's happy. I guess that's how parenthood goes.

Bombay Burning

My bare feet were being lapped by the warm Puerto Rican waves when my cell phone rang. I was walking along a sunny beach with my man and my baby, happy for the warmth and the time away. I had no idea what was happening half a world away. It was Lalit on the phone- one of my favorite Indians, the consummate partier, the creative film maker I had dated long ago. His voice was rushed and panicked. I could hardly make out what he was saying. Turn on CNN, he pleaded. Bombay is under attack.

When I lived there, the Mumbai of today was still Bombay. Hindu nationalists had made a push to rename everything that had been named by foreigners who once ruled them. They changed V.T. train station to Chatrapatti Shivaji Terminus, though the cabbies still took you to V.T. People laughed at bringing Mumbai back into the lexicon- they thought it wouldn't stick, but it has.

The city I knew ten years ago is not the same after a brutal siege by terrorists, thug criminals who took over parts of town where I spent most of my time. When I did get in front of a television, I saw the flames coming from the Taj Hotel, the place I went weekly for dinner, drinks or dancing. The place I put my parents up when they came to visit. The Oberoi, where many Ex-pat friends I knew lived (Kim & Raju stayed there for 9 months when they first arrived in the city) Metro Cinemas, where foreign films were shown and the Train Station that everyone has passed through at one time or another. The only place I did not frequent was Leopold cafe, favorite of Shantaram and the backpacker crowd and ironically, the Jewish Center. For three days these mad gunman shot at Indians and foreigners alike. They held off police and commando teams. They brought a free city to it's knees. Perhaps it was that freedom, the democratic openness of South Asia's most vibrant, multicultural capital that made it such a prime target. These men did not opt for the anonymity of suicide or car bombs. They wanted the up close brutality of armed combat.

I frantically emailed all my friends to make sure people were safe. Many of my friends not only frequent these places, some live only steps away from the prime targets. With grace and luck, it seems everyone I knew there survived, yet like the days after 9/11 here in New York, every one knows someone who was not quite so fortunate. One friend's sister was trapped on a train in VT with her children huddling on the floor until 3am. Others were locked down in their homes, listening to the gunfire wondering when it would all end.

I think the terrorists hoped to spark renewed cross-border hatred with Pakistan, but it has not worked. Pakistan has been quick to cooperate and denounce these acts. People I spoke with are angrier at India than at their old nemesis. They see is at a failure of their own government to keep them safe. The protests in the streets after the shooting finally stopped were for resignations within the government. Some have already stepped down. It remains to be seen what will come next.

I still had days left on the beach after I saw the images coming out of the city I once called home. I was in Puerto Rico to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. It is the time of year Americans stop and think of all we are grateful for in the year that has passed. I am grateful that my friends survived this attrocity. I am certain that Mumbai will weather this storm too. I hope that even more people flock there now to support it's free society, to see it's vibrancy, to meet it's amazing citizens. Those who attacked it may have prevailed for a few days, but in the end, they will not win. Bombay and it's inhabitants will come back stronger and with more resolve to live as they have; freely and openly. My welcoming city will once again invite the world to it's shores. I hope it's not too long before I can return to Bombay. It is my special, other home. In the place where I was once jokingly called "Nancy Singh" I will go back to the Taj, back to Metro Cinema, Back to the Oberoi and give the city and my friends there a long, overdue hug.

Like a Giant Tree

Yesterday, Jeff and I took Phoebe up to see Michael in Westchester. Jeff took us to Muskoot Farm, a working farm and museum where they had every animal I had ever sung to Phoebe in 'Old MacDonald had a Farm' (e-i-e-i-o.) But these were real sheep and ducks and cows and pigs. It was a city kid's moment to see an actual farm with genuine animals. (Squirrels and dogs are our general fare.)

While walking back to the car, Mike was holding Phoebe and we were singing "We are a family, like a giant tree" from Dreamgirls. Mike said he hadn't be able to get it out of his head. And here we were, an unlikely new family, but a family none-the-less. The song goes on to say, "... branching out to the sky. We are a family, we are so much more, than just you and I."

Moments like these don't escape me these days. Every day feels momentous and precious to me. There have been rougher days, when all I felt was fear, all I saw provoked anxiety. But this was not one of those days. On this sunny Sunday in November, I felt like part of a family. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I've already spent more than half my life living far away from my siblings. Other than living abroad, I've always lived close to my parents, but our circle only widened to include our whole brood on holidays. When I started working on bringing Phoebe into my life, it was as a single woman, preparing to be a single mother. You and me against the world, kid. But it hasn't quite worked out that way. It's only gotten better.

Jeff has now been in my life a long time. Longer than any man. He's been my handsome hero and my love. Now, he's not just in my life, he's in Phoebe's too. Without fail these days, her first word of the days is, "dada". She looks around for him anxiously and smiles with glee when she finds him. (I get that :)
But with Jeff, has come a whole new family. Phoebe is now lucky enough to have 2 sets of Grandparents, two older brothers as well as several Aunts, Uncles and cousins. All of whom have welcomed us into their lives with open arms.

Yesterday, I felt it. We are like that giant tree now, branching out all across the country with people who love and support us. Today, I feel nothing but gratitude. I sometimes can't believe my good luck. Jeff feels it too. We try to appreciate it and not take it for granted because we both know this moment is rare.

Tomorrow, is another momentous day. Tomorrow, we vote. On Tuesday, November 4th, whether we like it or not, we are getting a new President. (And yes, we like it- 86% of Americans are happy to see the current President go.) Hopefully, it will be President Obama. Perhaps, with that sea change, a new wave of optimism will sweep over the country and give us some strength for the tough times ahead. When those times, or any of life's difficult moments invariably come, it's good to feel a part of a family.

'Bama Baby

Phoebe's a Democrat. At least until she tells me otherwise. What is parenting if not impressing our ideals and beliefs onto our children?

When she's old enough to argue with me about the state of the economy, I'll have to deal with the fact that her ideas and mine might not always sync. Until then, I feel compelled to have her know that I believe strongly that we're about to elect an incredible leader to the highest office in our country. I'm so over feeling embarrassed that my President can't form an English sentence, let alone make one decision that has benefited our country. The anti-intellectualism that has become popular in our country has not served us well. What is so wrong with wanting our leaders to be smart, well-traveled and literate? When did we start choosing leaders we want to have a beer with and not one that might have more important things to do with their time?

To me, one of the best reasons to vote for Obama is not just that he would change the way America sees the world, but it will change the way the world sees America. If this financial crisis doesn't convince people how inter-connected we are with the rest of the world, I don't know what will. Our problems are their problems. Our market crashes and theirs follows suit. Electing Barack Obama will give us a fresh start in the world. A chance to show that we want to move on from the past 8 years, that we are a peace-loving country and not one that starts wars to destabilize the world and enrich the richest among us. Obama spoke up about the Iraq war and said what many of us were thinking- that it was unjust and unwise and it would brankrupt us financially and morally. With him at the helm, we will once again denounce torture, end the war responsibly, and get back on a path where our Allies can once again support and stand by us. This is a moment in time where the world needs to be able to look to us again, to lead people out of the financial and military messes we are in. This is no time for more of the same. I had a lot of respect for John McCain before he got tugged so far to the right he can't see the center any more. His choice of Sarah Palin was nothing more than cynical strategy. Sadly, it has worked on many levels. She now has her place in history, I just hope it's as a footnote and not a headline.

With the election just a month away, tensions are rising in this country. Every one is on edge watching the stock market, wondering how they will pay their bills or stay in their homes. In just one month, we will have a new President. My wish is that Hope wins over Fear, that race can finally not be a factor and that people all over America will vote for the only man in the running who can change the broken record we've been listening to for the past 8 years.

Hopefully, by the time Phoebe is old enough to vote, this time of crisis will be a distant memory of a time when we lost our way, but found the path back into the world by electing an American who represented the very best of our country at a time when we needed it most.

Baby's first 9/11

Phoebe was born six years after the towers came down. She won't be one of those New York kids who is defined by this tragedy. I'm sure she will learn about it, eventually, but what will I tell her about that day? At the time, it was so gigantic, so overwhelming to think people would plot to do us harm. Before 2001, we lived in a bubble of American inertia. We knew full well that the world is full of terror and the people who peddle it, but never quite believed it would strike us so forcefully. The fact that the Towers had been hit in 1993 and that our embassies and ships had been targeted did not wake us from our slumber. 9/11 did. And now, seven years later, the day that was supposed to change everything is starting to fade in our public consciousness. Despite the fact that the collective grief and anger we felt that day launched two wars, two terms for George W. Bush and the subsequent demise of our economy and our standing in the world, our outrage seems to simmer only on the far left. We are on the verge of electing a new President, and yet the policies of the government that brought us our current disaster state seems to be paying little price. Both candidates have co-opted the mantle of change- because they know that is what people want- yet change may come in a package that looks like more of the same. Yet on today, of all days, if people cannot see how we were manipulated, lied to, and brought into a deep state of debt, they will never see until the empire has gone the way of the Aztecs and Romans and Egyptians who once ruled the world and lost it all to hubris and arrogance.

This is my first 9/11 as a mother. And since Phoebe came into my world, I want nothing more than to protect her from all harm. She is someone who came from a country who outlasted us (and many others) in wars on their soil. She is a survivor, as are we all. I brought her here because I think New York City is the greatest city on earth to live in. It is a place where all outsiders are welcome, where every color of the rainbow is reflected on the faces you see every day. New York represents the ultimate freedom to be and say and do what you please. In truth, it is the ultimate American City for those ideals, and yet, it is not an accurate representation of America. Most towns are not as diverse. In the big open places of America they love freedom too, but often value sameness. They might think their values are different than ours, but we are the true Libertarians; be what and who you want to be. Accept those around you. Do good and do well. In theory, I'm sure most people would agree. And yet in a season of Political change, fear seems to to rule over ideas. My optimistic heart holds out hope for real change this time around. To live to see a Barak Obama at the top of a ticket and even Sarah Palin as the no. 2 on hers, shows how far we've come. Sadly, politics divides the country every time. People back into their corners and hunker down for the fight. At least on 9/11 we can try to remember that we're all on the same side.

Someday, I will tell Phoebe about that day. I will tell her how the whole world watched and how everyone came together. I will tell her how our apartment was filled with friends who had to leave their homes and how kindly her Grandparents were treated in France when they could not return home from Paris. I will tell her how I cried in Union Square looking at the posters of those who were missing and how I sang Amazing Grace on the boardwalk with complete strangers who mourned like one family. Many bad things did spring from that day, but the good in people could be seen everywhere. I'll tell her that.

Carol's Girl

The day Samantha Claire was born was a very long day. It started early on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008. But as Grandpa Jerry predicted, his new grand daughter would be born on his father's birthday- August 20th- nearly a century later. She arrived at 2:27am by C-section. I was lucky enough to be there with Carol from start to finish. They let me suit up and sit next to her in the operating room, holding her hand and trying not to pay too much attention to the group of doctors working away on the other side of the curtain. When Sammie came out, she cried with life and we knew it would all be okay. I was the first to hold her after they checked her out and cleaned her up. I held this light little bundle, so small and perfect close to Carol's face so she could see the amazing being she just made.

It was after 4am when they were in the recovery room, ready to sleep off all Mama and baby had just endured. I didn't want to leave Carol there, but when I looked at her holding her baby, I knew she would be just fine. Carol looked so calm (and tired) but completely ready to start her life with her daughter. I went home to my own little girl, the first night I had spent without her. Luckily, Jeff was there to welcome me home and ask how it had all gone. Just perfect, I would say. Another wonderful little girl had entered our lives.

Now Mom and baby are back home in the West Village, getting in their groove and doing just great. Can't wait for our girls to meet and to start their new lives as sisters in our very special extended happy family.